Skates Meets Dixie
by Jeneral2885
Summary: Elizabeth "Skates" Hawkes meet Dixie, former USO entertainer and finds out why she looks exactly like Dixie was back in 1969.
1. Chapter 1

_This story is inspired by __**byrhthelm's **__new story, "Like Ripples from a Pebble". After all, Sibel Ergener/Galindez played both Lieutenant Elizabeth "Skates" Hawkes and Dixie in the JAG series. If you still don't get it, watch the JAG episode, "Ghost of Christmas Past" again, ignore the Jenny Lake parts._

_In this story, Harmon Rabb is still a three stripe Commander and possibly the setting is around Season 9 or so, but A. J. Chegwidden is still head JAG. I've promoted Skates, as she should have been in the series._

**Norfolk Naval Base**

**0900 hours**

Lieutenant Commander Elizabeth Hawkes, better known as "Skates" to her squadron mates, was one of the many sailors manning the rails as the ship USS Patrick Henry eased into port. It was yet another deployment for her squadron abroad this familiar nuclear powered carrier, and the sixth since she chose to return to the fleet after she and her then pilot, Commander Harmon Rabb, ejected and parachuted into one of the worst storms ever. This was deployment was also yet another one that postponed her upcoming wedding but it was made up when her CO presented her with her next stripe. "Congrats, Skates," she remembered him saying, "but with this new rank comes new responsibility". Yeah yeah, at least sshe had extra money to buy the electronic gadgets she yearned to buy..

Being engaged, you would expect her fiance to be meeting her at the dock with her ship retuirning. But no, she got the email several days before, "Sorry darling, SECDEF wishes me to travel with him on his sudden trip. Really really sorry. But you know how to get in at my place. Hope I can still catch you." Bah, she thought. Skates' mood however, was brightened after another email from Commander Rabb, her former pilot and the best pilot she ever flew with.

The order came and the sailors dispersed to their quarters, gathering their belongings and eagerly heading off the carrier into the arms of their loved ones. It did not take Skates long to find the six foot four inches tall JAG. "Harm!" she called, then approaching him, she snapped to attention and saluted, "Morning sir. Permission to continue."

He returned it with both his salute and dashing smile. "Hiya, Skates, and congratulations, Lieutenant Commander." The former partners refrained from embracing, as Skates' superiors were nearby and because of her relationship status. "Thanks, Harm," she said, reverting back to his first name. "I'm glad to have the new stripes; soon I'll be equal to you. How's everything on your side?" The O-5 laughed and gave her a brief run through of his JAG world and his world outside JAG but was eager to hear her shipboard and flying stories. He's reliving his childhood, she thought, as both Commanders exited the base. Once a Naval Aviator, always a Naval Aviator.

It was perhaps the beginning of her story about a strike mission over Afghanistan that both of them found themselves at a nearby cafe. Over a up of ordinary latte for her and a a soya latte for him, she concluded the story but somehow the topic shifted to what she was up to for the rest of the day. "Actually, mom mentioned something weird to me via email during my deployment. It seems like we have a missing family member. One of my grandma's cousin committed suicide back in the early 1950s, but rumour is that she did so over the birth of an unwanted child. My mom just discovered this and thought I could help in the trace for this missing family member."

"Oh ok," Harm replied, taking a large gulp of his drink. "Maybe I could be useful. My colleague and staff at JAG are wizards at tracing records."

"Nah, it's not a JAG or Navy matter, Hammer," she said,she said, using his old callsign. "I can manage it, though its hardly of importance in my view. Let's make the most of this Norfolk sunshine."

Finishing up their drinks and leaving a tip, Skates got up and headed off first to the ladies. It was probably the design of the wall partitioning or the fact that she spent months at sea that she failed to notice another patron and collided straight into the elderly lady. "Oh my!" Elizabeth Hawkes exclaimed. "I'm so so sorry ma'am," she said, immediately bending down to help the lady, dressed in a pink coat up. "It was so careless of me. Are you alright?"

The slightly grey-haired woman smiled and said. "Oh it's ok, Lieutenant Commander, my own mistake. My eyes aren't what they used to be."

Skates noticed that the woman's purse was on the floor and bent down again to pick up. It was probably due to the weak latch that caused the contents to drop out as she did so. "Oh!" Skates exclaimed and moved to pick up the items. Beside the few dollar bills were a set of photographs.

"Skates? Are you alright?" Harm said, moving over to the two ladies. Elizabeth Hawkes could only widen here eyes in shock, as the girl in the photograph looked exactly like her.

To Be Continued...

_PS: Should be around two chapters. Corrected for mistakes._


	2. Chapter 2

_Well let's see how you guys find this second chapter. This story should end within a few chapters._

"Skates? Are you…" Harm moved over and suddenly saw the pictures that dropped out. "Why…do you have pictures of me?!" Skates asked with an increasingly incredulous tone, here right index finger pointing or rather jabbing at the woman.

The woman suddenly stared at her and second late responded, "What do you mean? Wait a minute…why do you look like me when I was your age, even with your hair tied up?"

"Ahem," both ladies spun around. "Could you please take your conversation outside?" The Café manager interrupted. "I ain't like no loud talk here."

Nodding, Skates gave Harm a gesture to follow and the three striped Commander did, questions buzzing through his head. Once outside, the woman suddenly saw his full face and built and exclaimed, "You're alive!"

"Excuse me ma'am? I think there's some mistake. My name is Ha…"

"Harmon Rabb? I met you, or rather heard about you from my USO friend back in 1969. The Christmas period…"

Suddenly it all hit Harm. "You were with Jenny Lake. She told me the whole story." Skates was about to respond when he regurgitate the story he had heard from the USO vocalist back in the Christmas Eve of 1999. "Oh, I should have guessed that you're his son. You look so much like when I saw him back then. Except you don't have his moustache."

The newly promoted O-4 blinked her eyes rapidly and finally interrupted. "Excuse me, uh who are you?"

Turning to Skates, the woman finally said, "Oh how rude of me. My name is Eileen Henderson. I was better known as Dixie. It was the nickname the USO manager gave me, named after his pet canary. Haha, I didn't like it at first but it stuck. Plus, lots of the Navy personnel remember me by that name and I got lots of fan mail because of it. And you are?"

"Elizabeth Hawkes. I still don't get how you and Harm..." Both Harm and Dixie recounted what their tale again. Harm focused on how his father met Jenny Lake in living quarters and how he prevented her from committing suicide. Dixie told about her about the extremely cramp helicopter ride, how they were greeted by Harm and his RIO's ejection just as they landed on the deck and the sudden need to sleep overnight due to Bob Hope's late arrival. He told how he learnt Jenny Lake was ultra depressed and nearly jumped overboard until his father kissed her. "Well, that story I did hear from Jenny. I myself had to deal with sailors who were depressed over losing their girlfriends to other boys while they were at sea."

"Heh, Jenny didn't tell me that story. The most memorable part I gathered was her singing "I'll be home for Christmas...just before my father got..."

"Ok...ok...I got your stories," Skates interjected. "Trouble is, it's so strange you looked exactly like me when you were my age?" she framed it more question this time.

"Lots of people look alike young lady. Oh," Dixie/Eileen exclaimed, looking at her watch. "I got to go for a meeting with my ladies club. My usual morning banter. Maybe I'll see you two some other time. Nice meeting you, Elizabeth and Harmon, Junior." With that she plodded away, disappearing around the corner.

"Something tell me she's hiding more that what she mentioned," Skates began.

"It's just another instance of a small world Skates," Harm replied. "Come..."

"No, really those pictures. Exactly like me—looks, hair style...well not the clothing then but everything else matches!"

"I've never seen you with your hair down," Harm grinned.

"Be serious sir. There's really something odd with her."

To be continued...


End file.
